BHOPAL: A special court in Madhya Pradesh's Bhopal district has sentenced a man to life imprisonment for raping his five-year-old daughter.
Special Additional Sessions Judge Kumudini Patel convicted the 40-year-old accused under section 376 (rape) and other relevant provisions of the Indian Penacl Code (IPC) and the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, the prosecution said on Thursday.
The court also imposed a fine of Rs 3,000 on the convict, it was stated.
In its judgement on Wednesday, the court observed, "It is the social and legal duty of the father to protect his children, but this incident is totally against it.
"The accused has not only acted against the nature, society and system of law, but also raped his own innocent five-year-old daughter who did not even have any knowledge about physical relations, and committed a painful and heinous act with her."
The incident came to light in May, 2019 when the girl's mother reported the matter to the police, the prosecution said.
According to the police complaint, the girl had confided in her mother that her father abused her whenever the woman was away at work.
When the woman confronted her husband, he quarrelled with her and attempted to commit suicide by pouring petrol on himself.
The prosecution stated that the girl's medical reports also confirmed rape and injuries to private parts.
The girl deposed against her father in the court, following which he was awarded life imprisonment on three counts, it was stated.